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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · present · swing · snap · fan · nail · pitcher · saw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — in golf
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — there
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com